Golf clubs are well known and typically include a hollow shaft having a club head mounted at one end and a grip mounted at the other end. The club head typically includes a rearwardly inclined front strike face. A central region of the strike face, commonly referred to as the “sweet spot,” generally provides the best overall response and the best coefficient of restitution when impacting a golf ball. When a user impacts a golf ball at the sweet spot of the golf club, the club typically generates a distinctive clean sound and provides a comfortable “solid hit” feel for the user.
It is not uncommon for a substantial amount of vibration to be generated from the club head upon striking a golf ball, particularly where the point of the impact occurs away from the sweet spot. Such an off-center impact can produce an undesirable pattern of flexure of the golf club which can be characterized as a traveling shock wave through the club and/or as a translationally or rotationally applied force that typically travels from the club head, up the shaft, and to the grip, where it is felt by the user. This vibration can be harsh and uncomfortable to certain users. At a minimum, the vibration can negatively affect the user's feel of the golf club and can provide the user with a negative impression of the golf club.
Additionally, some golf clubs, particularly during off-center contact with a golf ball, generate undesirable sounds such as ringing sounds or unusually loud sounds. These undesirable sounds can be unpleasant, irritating and even embarrassing to the user. Further, it is generally known that the shock or vibration imparted to the user's hands, and the undesirable sounds emitted from off-center impacts, can decrease the user's confidence level and may, over time, negatively affect the user's performance.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a golf club that minimizes the amount of vibration felt by the user during use, particularly during off-center contact with the ball. There is also a continuing need for a golf club that provides a user with an improved feel and a more pleasant experience during use. What is needed is a golf club that can eliminate or significantly reduce undesirable sounds or audible vibrations during impact with a golf ball. Moreover, it would be advantageous to provide a golf club that includes more than one vibration and sound dampening mechanisms. It would also be advantageous to provide a vibration dampening and sound attenuation mechanism that can be easily installed, is lightweight, and does not adversely affect the performance of the golf club.